Condenser.



PATBNTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

0. s. STILL.

. CONDENSER.

APPLIOA'IION FILED APR. 9, 1903.

NO MODEL.

WITNESSES,

A TTOHNE rs.

UNITED STATES Patented September 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONDENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,127, datedSeptember 13, 1904.

Application filed April 9, 1903. Serial No. 151 737. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTHOR SIMPSON STILL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Annette, in the county of Kern and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and Improved Condenser, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a condenser especially intended for use withapparatus for extracting mercury from cinnaloar and analogous ores. Theinvention resides in certain special features of construction andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter pointed out.

This specification is an exact description of one example of myinvention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in which the figure represents a vertical section ofmy improved condenser, showing it in operative position with respect tothe furnace for reducing the ores.

The furnace may be of any sort desired, and it has a pipe 25 or the likeleading the vapor to be condensed from the furnace-retort.

26 indicates the condenser-casing, which is formed, preferably, with aconical bottom 41, from the lowermost point of which a pipe 42 passes.43 indicates a valve commanding this pipe, and by means of the pipe themercury accumulating in the conical bottom 41 may be withdrawn at will.

40 indicates a flue which passes from the lower portion of the shell orcasing 26 upward and out of the top thereof. In the upper part of thecasing or shell 26 I locate a spray device 39, which is preferably ofthe rotary type. This device is supplied with water or other condensingliquid by a pipe 38, which passes from a suitable pump, as illustrated.According to the arrangement shown in the drawing, said pump is alsoemployed in connection with the furnace; but this is not essential to myinvention.

A body of water is maintained in'the bot tom of the casing 26, asindicated by the broken lines in the drawing, this water beingmaintained at a level just below the lower end of the flue 40, so as notto seal the same. The

water for this purpose is supplied from a tank 44, which has a pipe 47,leading to the before-mentioned pump. 46 indicates a return-pipe forcarrying the overflow from the condenser 26 back into the tank 44, and45 indicates a ball-cock and valve controlling the inlet to the tank 44,and thereby maintaining the water at the desired level both in the tankand in the condenser-shell.

In the operation of the invention the vapors generated in thefurnace-retort are led into the upper part of the condenser-shell, wherethey are met by the spray from the device 39. These vapors are therebycondensed,and the condensate falls to the bottom of the shell. Thecondensing operation goes on continuously, and such portions of thevapors as are not condensed finally pass off through the flue I0. Owingto the thorough action of the sprayer, the mercurial vapors arecompletely condensed and none are lost through the flue. By providing abody of water in the bottom of the condenser the falling quicksilverwill not forcibly strike the bottom of the condenser and be divided intosmall particles, which would tend to return them to a vaporous state.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. Acondenser,comprisingacasingadapted to containwater in its lower portion, an outlet-flue extending vertically from thelower portion thereof through the top of the casing, a vapor-inletlocated in the upper part of the casing, a spray device located abovethe vapor-inlet, a supply means for the spray de vice, acondensate-outlet at the bottom of the casing, and means for maintaininga body of water at a definite level in the lower portion of the casingbelow the lower end of the said flue.

2. A condenser, comprising a shell orcasing having a conical bottom andprovided with an outlet in said bottom and an inlet at its upper end,said casing being adapted to contain water in its lower portion, a spraydevice, a supply means therefor, a tank with which said supply meanshave communication, a return-pipe leading from the tank to casing, andmeans for maintaining the water in the tank at a definite level.

nected with the casing by a return-pipe, and a ball and cock valve forcontrolling the inlet to the tank, therebymaintaining the Water at 5 thedesired level in the casing and tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

OTHOR SIMPSON STILL.

Witnesses:

D. D. BERNARD, ALLAN L. BIOKELL.

